1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a surgical access assembly which is configured for removable insertion into a patient's tissue and the sealed reception of a surgical object.
2. Background of the Related Art
Many surgical procedures are performed through access devices such as trocar and cannula assemblies. These devices incorporate narrow tubes or cannulae percutaneously inserted into a patient's body, through which one or more surgical objects may be introduced and manipulated during the course of the procedure. Generally, such procedures are referred to as “endoscopic”, unless performed on the patient's abdomen, in which case the procedure is referred to as “laparoscopic”. Throughout the present disclosure, the term “minimally invasive” should be understood to encompass both endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures.
Generally, during minimally invasive procedures, prior to the introduction of a surgical object into the patient's body, insufflation gases are used to enlarge the area surrounding the target surgical site to create a larger, more accessible work space. Accordingly, the maintenance of a substantially fluid-tight seal along the central opening of the access device in the presence of the surgical object is desirable. To this end, surgical access devices generally incorporate a seal through which the surgical object is inserted. The seal receives the surgical object in substantially sealed relation so as to prevent the escape of the insufflation gases and the deflation or collapse of the enlarged surgical work space. Examples of such seals may be seen through reference to commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,053 to Pearson and Provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/043,797 to Mozdzier et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
During the course of a minimally invasive procedure, a clinician will frequently move surgical instruments laterally within the access assembly, and the seal, to access different regions of the surgical site. This lateral movement may cause the valve to stretch and deform, thereby causing the leakage of insufflation gas around the instrument. In addition, during the course of a typical procedure, a clinical will often interchange instrumentation of various sizes and diameters.
While many varieties of seals are known in the art, there exists a continuing need for a seal that can accommodate both the lateral movement of an instrument inserted therethrough, as well as differently sized instruments, while maintaining the integrity of an insufflated workspace.